The Beat: Bellingham's Robbie driving to succeed

The routine depends on the athlete. Maybe there’s a catcher’s mitt that needs to be broken in. Or a lacrosse stick that needs the perfect pocket. For a race-car driver in New England, the winter is for tinkering with the automobile. Bellingham 16-year-old Derek Robbie has got the routine down pat. Between his t...

By Tim Whelan Jr./Daily News staff

MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA

By Tim Whelan Jr./Daily News staff

Posted Feb. 25, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Feb 25, 2013 at 7:10 AM

By Tim Whelan Jr./Daily News staff

Posted Feb. 25, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Feb 25, 2013 at 7:10 AM

» Social News

The routine depends on the athlete. Maybe there’s a catcher’s mitt that needs to be broken in. Or a lacrosse stick that needs the perfect pocket.

For a race-car driver in New England, the winter is for tinkering with the automobile.

Bellingham 16-year-old Derek Robbie has got the routine down pat. Between his track practices, schoolwork and social life, he and his father, Doug, both spend much of the winter months in the garage. Doug has been a race-car driver himself for 25 years.

"We took the car apart, and now we’re painting it and putting it back together for next season," said Robbie, the youngest of three to parents Doug and Teri. "It’s really me and my dad on my team, but the whole family helps out."

Robbie also has two sisters, 21-year-old Nicole and 18-year-old Danielle. It is Derek, though, who drives the DDR Motorsports #27L Pro 4 Limited Division Modified. His first win in the series came in Oct. 2011, at Stafford Springs Speedway in Stafford, Conn. He also races at Monadnock (N.H.) Speedway, Thompson (Conn.) Speedway and Seekonk Speedway.

Working in the garage is spring training for Robbie, who also runs cross-country and indoor and outdoor track for Bellingham High.

"We’re really just trying to rebuild and prepare for next season," Robbie said. "Seeing where I went wrong, finding new marketing partners and new opportunities to grow as a racer."

His Facebook page, "Derek Robbie Motorsorts," had 3,190 likes at last check. He’s got 1,809 Twitter followers. Three years ago, Robbie got into a racing development program called RACE 101. Now, Robbie runs the social media side of RACE 101.

"When you have a little kid come up to you and ask for an autograph, that means a lot," Robbie said. "People look up to you."

As Sunday’s Daytona 500 assured us, sponsorship is as big a part of racing as any sport. For Robbie, those benefactors include North Scituate (R.I.)’s Ugly Duck Communications, Bellingham companies Marshall's Jewelers, Thredz Unlimited and BaddAss Incorporated, as well as Shibbles Family Mattress of Belmont, N.H.

That’s quite the sponsorship roll call for a 16-year-old who doesn’t yet have his Massachusetts driver’s license but does have his learner’s permit.

"My friends are always bragging about how they have their licenses and I don’t," Robbie said. "They’ll ask me, ‘How hard can it be just to turn left?’ I’ll just say, ‘Let’s go go-karting and I’ll show you how tough it is.’ "

That said, driving through Bellingham on Route 126 is a bit different than hopping in the Pro4 Modified car.

"It’s a lot different having cars coming at you," Robbie said.

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He’s gone as fast as 120 miles per hour in his Pro4 Modified car. Worry not, though, Bellingham residents. He leaves the excessive speeds on the track.

"I try not to speed," he said. "Racing has helped me pay more attention."

As a runner, he took 15th in the Tri-Valley League meet, racing Medway’s 5K course in a Bellingham-best 18:11. He was then 51st in the Div. 5 EMass. Meet in Wrentham, running the 5K course in 17:43.

The parallels between competitive running and competitive driving aren’t lost on Robbie.

"The drive to win is very similar," said Robbie. "The fight to never give up, the dedication to the sport."

As Robbie starts to tour colleges, he is looking at sports management programs. For now, he is managing just fine.

Locals honored by USTA New England

USTA (United States Tennis Association) New England recently announced the winners of the 2012 Section Awards. Altogether, 30 USTA New England players, coaches, officials, clubs and volunteers who have been exemplary ambassadors for the tennis community in 2012 will be recognized at the Mariott in Marlborough on Saturday.

"We take great pride in our ability to reward our dedicated players, coaches, organizations, volunteers and for their contributions and heroics to the game of tennis in New England year after year. It’s our special way to say ‘thank you’ for all that these amazing individuals and organizations do to support our mission, ‘To Promote and Develop the Growth of Tennis’," USTA New England president Gary Pina said in a press release.

Framingham’s Erin Reeves is being honored with USTA League Female Captain of the Year. This award is given to captains who showed exemplary leadership, sportsmanship and enthusiasm to her team and to the USTA League program during the past year.

Nine youth players will receive the Junior Sportsmanship award at next month’s ceremony, among them Dover’s Weston Brach, Brianna Greene of Westborough and William Sharton of Wayland, who will all take home the awards at the 16-and-Under level.

Ramos a champ once again

On Wednesday night at the New England Golden Gloves Tournament at Lowell Auditorium, 20-year-old Tim Ramos captured the light welterweight title (141 pounds) with a three-round decision over Maine’s Brandon Berry. Ramos, who grew up in Framingham before graduating from Natick High, works out with his trainer Carlos Cancel at Framingham’s Bancroft Boxing Club.

He will next fight in the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions from May 13-18 in Salt Lake City in May. He advanced to nationals in Mesquite, Nev., at 132 pounds last year, where he won one fight and dropped another in the preliminary round.

We will have more on Ramos as his trip to nationals gets closer.

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Tim Whelan Jr. can be reached at 508-626-4402 or twhelan@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @thattimwhelan.